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Aimee Mullins is a Paralympic Athlete, actress, model, innovator, and TED talker. To me, she’s the epitome of inspiration to get motivated and moving forward no matter what you have in front of you to accomplish.

I’ve been waiting for this day for quite some time… actually for a little over 2 1/2 months! Mars finally begins his forward motion today after being Retrograde since April 17.

Yay!!

A Mars Retrograde period occurs about every two years & two months, and when it does, it seems to put breaks on around areas of your life that you had been feeling a great sense of vitality and progress around. The things that you were taking positive action toward may have since receded into the distance a bit, but not because you haven’t been trying. And if you’ve been trying too hard, you may have been feeling that you’re knocking your head against a wall. (As a comparison point think back to the last Mars Retrograde: March – May 2014)

Let’s look back. During March and the beginning of April 2016 you may recall feeling pretty excited about something that you expected would take off at that point, and become something pretty amazing. And then mid-April came along with Mars stationing Retrograde, and your project may have begun to lose momentum, but the polish was only a little chipped and hope was still intact. Then over the past several weeks, you may have begun to experience doubt, or even started thinking about giving up.

That means it’s time to stop, reflect, ruminate! If you haven’t done those yet – which is what the Mars Retrograde wanted you to do – then do them now. Maybe the project is sound and you just need to take action on it differently – or take it in a different direction. Maybe the project is sound, but it’s not for you – though it could be for someone else – in which case, be honest with yourself and be willing to share it or pass it on. Maybe this project needs some work, and you need to go back to the drawing board so you know how to better take action to get wings under it. And just maybe, the project isn’t a great one to move forward with. In which case Mars Retrograde has saved you the time, energy, and resources required to push forward with something that wouldn’t be a sound bet.

That’s what this 10 week Mars Retrograde period has been all about. The question has been (and is until we’re out of the shadow period on Aug. 22), “Are you taking right action on the right thing?”

Erin Sullivan said in the book Retrograde Planets: Traversing the Inner Landscape, “The slow burn that the transit of Mars retrograde engenders can either be corrosive and psychologically depleting or it can free up frustrated energy.” If that’s the case, then there may have been a different perspective for some folks during this period of time… “or it can free up frustrated energy.” I take that to mean that if prior to the Mars retrograde you were feeling stuck, then during the retrograde you may have come back to right action for yourself. Appropriate action. In which case I applaud you! The idea now will be to continue your momentum as Mars begins his forward motion again.

So, now that you know the logistics, what are the particulars of this Mars Direct? First, Mars has been retrograde in two signs – Scorpio and Sagittarius. Scorpio goes deep, and Sagittarius finds meaning and wisdom… so do those two things around how you take action in your life. To know where precisely in your life you are impacted by this event, I’d have to know your specific birthchart. If you’re interested in understanding the areas of your life that are being impacted by the Mars Retrograde/Mars Direct, then please contact me for a session and we’ll dive in. 🙂 (If you have the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars or any of the angles – ASC, MC, DESC, IC – in Aries, then this Mars Retrograde is a turning point for you.)

Second, since since the beginning of June, Mars has been in a connection of ease and flow with the centaur Chiron. (I sometimes refer to this connection, the trine of 120 degrees between planets, as the lazy aspect.) This connection brings idling energy to our past actions and how those actions have created habitual patterns in our lives currently – and with this non-agitated connection it may seem ok to continue in these habits of action, or inaction, as the case may be. However, the square between these two is hard on our heels (Sept. 2016), and at this point we are tested, and the reality of what occurred during the Mars retrograde comes to the fore. During September we must come to terms with whether we continue our ingrained habits of how we connect with our desires, the ways we implement our will, and take action from these two aspects of our personality – OR – we take on the challenge of making changes, so that we take action to get what we want in ways that are congruent with who we are now – rather than who we used to be. This is an awakening challenge… an opportunity to really move forward in a more evolved way. Anytime Chiron is involved elements, traits, events, people, and our own wounds may come up from the past. When Mars is the trigger, then it’s all about taking action to balance, correct, resolve, and heal.

I hope this is helpful information as we start to rev things up again! As Mars moves forward, so can we! And when Mars trines the Sun again in 18 days on July 16, all of the excitement and confidence that we felt this past March might just be full throttle again! If not, then certainly by August 22 when Mars finally passes out of the shadow of when the retrograde began. So, get ready… get set… and move forward in RIGHT action.

Out of the Shadow: August 22, 2016 – Mars finally reaches the same degree upon which it went retrograde

Mars and Chiron were trine in Feb 2016Mars and Chiron were trine in June 2016Mars and Chiron will be trine in July 2016Mars and Chiron will be square in Sept. 2016Mars and Chiron will be sextile in Oct. 2016

During the morning hours, due to an uncomfortable angle between the Moon and Pluto (quincunx), there could be some adjustments that must be made in an emotional situation… the need to control something could be pretty strong, but look deeply at your motivations and see where you can shift a little to create a more comfortable atmosphere. As we move into the afternoon there are some super pleasant energies available today via Venus and the Sun in Gemini being intimately close (conjunction – we can see this as the beginning of the birth of Venus as she transitions into her new phase as the evening star), and the Moon reaching out to both of them (sextile) from Leo for possible social time with an intellectual bent – or maybe just a gossipy one. 🙂 These combinations create an emphasis on our vitality being impacted by beauty and relationship, our values coming to the fore in a prominent role, and connecting with others emotionally for companionable or even playful gatherings. There could be some creative tension possible with Mercury (the way we communicate) in Taurus moving into opposition with Mars (the way we take action to get what we want) in Scorpio, but the key is to be willing to go deeply into an issue without manipulating your opponent or refusing to budge in an opinion. Allow your peers and companions time to process rather than pushing for resolution. During the evening things may get a little more exciting – and whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing will mostly depend on how willing you are to let go and flow. The Moon will contact Uranus (trine), with Venus heading toward a connection with him as well (sextile), so be prepared to step outside the norm so that you can move with this often unusual and fluctuating energy. And make it fun! If your schedule unexpectedly shifts outside your comfort zone, move with the current and see where you land. It could be eye opening!

Just a reminder that Mercury has been slowing down over the past few weeks and stationed (meaning he appears to have stopped) at 18 degrees of Scorpio on Friday, Oct. 18, and will turn Retrograde on Oct. 21. He will be Retrograde until Nov. 10, reaching back to 2 degrees of Scorpio. (Read the article Mercury Retrograde: The Unlikely Healing Gift here for an in-depth look at the meaning of this phenomenon in general, a bit of Mercury mythology, and how to navigate the Retrograde with better ease and understanding.)

If you’ve been feeling, like I have, that it seems Mercury Retrograde has already been happening for a while, remember that there are two shadow periods during every Retrograde phase. The pre-shadow that occurs for about 2 weeks when things feel as though they’re slowing down prior to the actual Retrograde and when, if you pay close attention, you are getting clues as to how a particular Retrograde period will impact you; and the post-shadow that occurs for about 3 weeks afterwards, when things are picking back up, but you are still integrating and seeking resolution. So really, the entire Mercury Retrograde phase takes about 8 weeks.

Our typically fleet footed planet appears to slow down, stop, and then turn and trudge in the opposite direction once every 4 months. This phenomenon occurs when Mercury is at his greatest distance from the Sun (when he appears as the Evening or Morning Star), and then turns back toward the Earth, appearing to us as though he’s going backwards. It’s as though Mercury is conferring with the Sun who gives him information to bring back to Earth for the use of us mere mortals – thus Mercury’s ancient reputation as the Messenger of the Gods.

If you know your birthchart, look to the house that contains Scorpio, and to any planets in that house to gain understanding of how this particular Retrograde period will impact you. Also look to any planets in your birthchart that fall between 2 and 18 degrees and find what sort of angle (the geometric distance between) this Mercury in Scorpio is making to them. This will give you further insights.

Folks born between 1956 and 1970 all have Neptune in Scorpio. If you were born between late 1956 and late 1966 your Neptune is somewhere between 0 and 22 degrees of Scorpio, meaning that it is in range of being impacted by this particular Mercury Retrograde. If your natal Neptune is also in aspect to (having a significant geometric distance between) any of your natal personal planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars), then this Mercury Retrograde period could be a significant one for you.

Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio brings our inner attention to probing topics like sexuality, long-standing emotional issues, death and dying, our deepest psychological fears, profound shamanic healing and making the unconscious conscious. The tendency and purpose is to thin the veil between our typical movement away from these somewhat taboo areas of life and bring them into greater awareness – and ultimately greater integration. Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio can help us heal our Shadow. (What more perfect energy could be afoot for Samhain / Halloween / All Saints Day when the veil between the living and dead is reportedly thin, allowing connection between the two worlds!)

Mercury connected to Neptune (just for those late forties and fifty-somethings among us that I mentioned earlier) is a complex combination of energies. On the one hand Mercury and Neptune combined can bring up visionary experiences, loosen the imagination, prompt us to express our dreams and give voice to the images that arise from our Souls. On the other hand we can feel muddled in our thinking, express ourselves chaotically, or tune in to our fondest modes of escape – which can translate into a Mercury Retrograde double whammy. Watch for your tendencies, one way or the other, but understand that you have the choice of which way to direct yourself.

If you’d like help figuring this Mercury Retrograde phase out in your own life, please contact me ASAP for a Mercury Retrograde consult by emailing astrology@michellegregg.com. It will only set you back $25. Mayhem possible during Mercury Retrograde = frustration and anxiety. Navigating Mercury Retrograde with confidence = priceless. 🙂

I’m delighted to let you know that Mercury is going Direct in Scorpio today as of 5:48 PM Eastern Time. I can hear you shouting “Yay!!” as you jump up and down… No more Mercury Retrograde until February 23, 2013! I’m saying that just as a reminder that Mercury turning Retrograde is a very regular cycle in our lives that occurs every 3 months – 4 times a year – and it stays Retrograde 3 weeks each time. This is an example of the natural inhale and exhale, ebb and flow of life – of two steps forward, one step back, of needing rest after forward motion. Learning to move gracefully and fully engaged with that cycle is a terrific goal to have. (See my article “Mercury Retrograde: The Unlikely Healing Gift” for insights on that.)

This Mercury Retrograde for me has actually been quite smooth and fruitful… perhaps that’s the result of consciously working in accordance with the energy, or maybe, I’ve just been lucky this past 3 weeks. Trust me – I’ve had my share of truly DOOZIE Mercury Retrogrades! Whatever the reason for the ease of this one, I’m looking forward to the next 3 months as Mercury moves forward to see what will bloom fresh and new in my mind and how I will determine to express it to others.

Time-lapse image showing Retrograde motion in space.

Bear in mind that we will be in the “shadow” of Mercury Retrograde until Dec. 14. This simply means that Mercury goes back over the same degrees of theZodiacit covered while it was going backwards, until it ends up where it started. During this time, the next 19 days, you might expect whatever came up during the Retrograde to resurface. (For this kind of retrospective, it’s helpful to know what degrees of Scorpio andSagittariusthe Retrograde covered – it began at 4 degrees of Sagittarius and moved back to 18 degrees of Scorpio – and where those degrees are in yourbirth chart– and what days over the past 3 weeks specific things happened. Always helpful to keep a journal for things like this so you can look back and find patterns or witness lessons learned or simply life experienced.)

I love watching annual trends with these kinds of Cosmic escapades. Last year, 2011, Mercury went Retrograde onThanksgivingDay. This year, 2012, on Thanksgiving we were in the throes of Mercury Retrograde – just a few days before the end of it. And next year Mercury Retrograde will be over almost 2 weeks before Thanksgiving. But we’ll have a Retrograde Halloween! That sounds like the perfect time to communicate (Mercury) with those already gone before us (Retrograde).

Have fun in your forward journey all!

NOTE: Here’s a wonderful video that shows Mercury Retrograde motion astronomically – a space view of how we see Mercury Retrograde. Fabulous!

From the YouTube Video explanation:

Please watch in Full screen HD-mode! This animation shows from GEOCENTRIC point of view (Earth’ observer) how the innermost planet Mercury moves on its small orbit direct, than suddenly appears to move retrograde (backwards) and turns direct again. The red grid marks the ecliptical plane, in which the Sun and most planets move more or less. The figures indicate the 30° intersection of the ecliptical grid, so 0° longitude is the beginning at the vernal equinox = 0° Aries, Every further 30° step is the next astrological (tropical) sign of the zodiac, so e.g. 30°-60° = Taurus, 60°-90° = Gemini and so on. The movement for Mercury is shown for 2009 and 2010 covering two of its retrograde periods, which take about three weeks and occur four times every Earth year. Mercury’s orbit is shown in orange colour (ellipse). The panel on the left corner is in German and displays the calendar date of the animation. The timestep is 1 day per trail and computation. This is how the apparent retrograde motion of planets actually appears and happens. Stars and other planets are excluded in this animation. The animation was generated with Redshift 7 Premium by USM Media. More explanations will be inserted into the animation soon.

Today’s New Moon Total Solar Eclipse in Scorpio (Nov. 13, 2012) will only be visible in its entirety in northern Australia. During a total solar eclipse the Moon moves in front of the Sun as seen from Earth, their separation and alignment such that the Moon appears large enough to temporarily block out the Sun’s light.

Call 218.862.1300 and use code 122069 to join the call.

This New Moon is also a Total Solar Eclipse and occurs in the sign of Scorpio, on Tuesday, November 13, 2012 at 5:08 PM Eastern Standard Time.

Key Words / Phrases to Reflect On for this New Moon Solar Eclipse Chart

portal to emotional intensityallowing the soul to leadhealing toxic emotionssexual healinggoing deeply into your internal landscapepurification of the heart

That’s probably enough to start with…

And I look forward to talking with you this evening at 6 PM Eastern!

Here is the chart we’ll be using that is an Aries Wheel reflecting only the planets without a rising sign or houses – so no specific place specified. The chart is based on the natural wheel of the Zodiac beginning with Aries.

New Moon Solar Eclipse in ScorpioToday’s total solar eclipse (Nov. 13, 2012) will only be visible in its entirety in northern Australia. During a total solar eclipse the Moon moves in front of the Sun as seen from Earth, their separation and alignment such that the Moon appears large enough to temporarily block out the Sun’s light.

On Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2012 Venus moved from Leo into Virgo. With this shift your attention moves from valuing yourself at the center of your awareness to valuing what you can do in service to others.

Venus was in Leo from Sept. 7, 2012, so you’ve had a month to focus on whatever magnificence comes from your heart, your creative efforts, how your resources can benefit them or what you receive as a result of them. This was the time to love for fun for and pleasure.

With this shifting of Venus from the 5th sign of the Zodia to the 6th (Virgo) comes an emphasis on becoming practical in the way you interact with the people closest to you and with those with whom you work on a regular basis. In what way can you offer something of benefit to them? In what way can you contribute to the smooth functioning of your primary circles. Venus in Virgo is love on purpose!

Another shift we’re experiencing is the movement of both Mercury into Scorpio.

Mercury in Scorpio (coming from Libra) is a fairly brief visit, as Mercury orbits so quickly. It was in Libra from Sept. 17 until today, Oct. 5, 2012. Mercury in Libra put the focus on thinking and talking about relationship and how to keep them in balance. Now your mind, with Mercury in Scorpio, turns more toward thinking and communicating in depth – from your core – with a desire to expose the truth. Mercury in Scorpio is the natural placement of the detective, so this is a fantastic time for research projects that need laser beam mental prowess. Mercury is in Scorpio until Oct. 28. Focus on what your can reveal and uncover during this time. Watch out for obsessing about what you know or what you need to learn – or inconsistencies in your thoughts or the communications of others.

And the biggie – Saturn is also in Scorpio as of today at 4:34 Eastern time. When Saturn makes an ingress into a new sign, it’s a big deal. Saturn has been in Libra fully since Oct. of 2010… so for almost 2 years Libra and all the Cardinal signs – Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn – have been learning Saturn lessons. Now it’s time for the fixed signs – Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius – to have their Saturn moment. If you have any planets in any of these four signs, then at some point over the next couple of years – until December of 2014 (it does Retrogress back into Scorpio for a good part of 2015 ) – you’ll have your lesson with Saturn to learn as well. And please don’t jump to negative conclusions. Without the lessons of Saturn, honestly, we’d all be floating around in chaos.

Saturn lessons are lessons of resistance – and where you feel resistance there is probably fear. Saturn also lets us know when it’s time to balance karma in a particular area. It also brings the opportunity to mature and make practical progress somewhere. The beauty of Saturn lessons is that we get to grow up, get something accomplished and really find our authority somewhere. So, Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius – pull on your big girl panties and let go of resistance.

Saturn in Scorpio is a penetrating energy that asks us to get real with overcoming our deepest fears and darkest, most taboo places. Saturn is all about testing the strength of your structure and in Scorpio it will suss out any weaknesses. There is an emphasis on power, on transformation and on merging. There may be an impact on your resources – and depending on whether your foundation and structure are strong or not – there may be limits places on your resources or you may reap the rewards of your practical progress and good planning. Becoming comfortable with limits is one of the keys to successfully navigating any Saturn transit.

Don’t let the heavy sound of this energy put you into a negative space or a pity party… throughout our lives we experience challenges. It is the way we meet those challenges that determines the outcome. Meet this time of maturing with the best that you have (I’m mostly talking to those with planets in Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius). Understand that resistance, digging in your heals or blaming others, will probably create suffering on some level… and be thankful that you’re entering a very important time of change and growth. Of course the intensity of these changes will ebb and flow… right now it’s those with planets in the very early degrees of these signs who will feel this energy most. As Saturn moves forward the middle-degree people will come more into the light of this energy and as more time passes within the 2 year period, those with planets in the later degrees of the fixed signs will be feeling it more prevalently.

It would be wonderful to hear from some Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn folks on what their experiences have been with Saturn impacting them over the past 2 years. Please feel free to comment with a story if you feel moved!

Mercury and Paris by Annibale CarracciCeiling of the Farnese Gallery. 16th/17th Century Baroque Italian Art.

Just a note to you as a reminder that on July 14, 2012 we’ll be in a Mercury Retrograde phase once again.

Mercury is already slowing down a bit in preparation for its 3-week back-track, so I thought you’d want to start thinking about ways to prepare. This coming Retrograde is in Leo – so all of you who have a strong emphasis on Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius in your birthcharts will probably experience the strongest effects.

To prepare, begin to explore ways to still your mind, particularly around your creative ideas and heart attachments. Set aside some time in your calendar to have quiet introspective moments every day between July 14 and August 8, 2012… and then plan to use that time to review, revisit, and revise the following Leo ruled areas of life: ego attachments, career in terms of your creativity, where you want to shine in life, your convictions, your self-confidence, your children and any creative progeny, where and how you are generous and giving, where you find and offer joy, how you respond to criticism, and your actual heart health.

Read that list again slowly and visualize each area of your life as you do… check to see what needs a do-over and then commit to spending some down town ruminating and mulling it over.

The time you set aside for introspection doesn’t have to be excessive – a few minutes a day will do. But as always, anytime you work with an energy you benefit tremendously – whereas if you work against the energy (refusing to slow down and reflect, pushing through with projects rather than letting them breathe, making large purchases, signing contracts – those are all “don’ts” during Mercury Retrograde) you will feel the more negative side of its impact… and those are really not pleasant. Some for instances are: mis-communications, technology devices that break and need repairing, car break downs, contracts back-firing, flubbing speeches and the traditional favorite, travel troubles.

Mercury Retrograde can be a very positive and restorative experience… just be willing to slow down and breathe, rather than forcing your way forward. In that way you get the benefit of some well-deserved down time.

So get ready to put your check book, your debit card, and your signing pen away for a few weeks… see what you can put on the back burner for a little while to free up some space, and get comfortable with the idea of going inside. This is your chance to rest and restore your mind… take it! Have fun introspecting!

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Astrology with Michelle Gregg

Thank you for visiting! I'm Michelle Gregg, Counseling Astrologer and I'm ready to explore the energy of you - your potentials, challenges, purpose and where you are right now to guide you toward clarity and living your greatest joy. My work is a healing journey on psychological, emotional and spiritual levels. To schedule a consultation and to learn more email Astrology@MichelleGregg.com